[Poll] To Privatize or Not to Privatize, That is the Question.

One thing the township does not have to worry about this year is the maintenance of its grounds and parks. 

For the first time, the township privatized the maintenance of about 120 acres of its parks and grounds. D’Onofrio Landscaping of South Orange -- no relation to the editor -- was contracted to do the work between the months of June and November at a cost of $125,000

Public works crews were responsible for this work in the past, which have been stretched thin due to a diminishing staff over the years, said Public Works Director and Municipal Engineer Leonard Lepore.

The most significant aspect of hiring a private company, said Lepore, is that township employees can now be reassigned to more important and timely issues, such as roadwork and sewer maintenance. 

“It enables us to reassign personnel and help bolster up our other divisions where the costs of delivering those services can very often be a lot more expensive than, say, doing some grounds maintenance and lawn cutting,” said Lepore. 

Mayor Robert Parisi addressed the same issue in a recent press release. 

“Outsourcing some of this work enables the Department of Public Works to concentrate on other projects and provide timely and increased services for the tax payers,” wrote Parisi in a press release. 

According to Lepore, the township was not interested in increasing township staff in order to better handle the workload. 

When it comes to public services, such as maintaining public grounds, would you prefer to see your tax dollars going to private businesses or hiring more township employees? 

And are there any "sacred" services you think are off limits to privatization? 

Vote in the poll below and leave a comment below.